Election 2007/Wooster Council president Councilmen vying for president's position express views

Tuesday

Oct 23, 2007 at 4:01 AM

By BOBBY WARREN

Staff Writer

WOOSTER -- Two councilmen running from safe seats are vying to be the next president of Wooster City Council.

Democrat Jon Ulbright, an at-large councilman, and Republican Jeff Griffin, who represents Ward 4 on council, are campaigning for the position. Because their terms do not expire until Dec. 31, 2009, whoever does not prevail at the polls will continue to represent citizens on council.

Wooster's president assigns committees, prepares the agenda and presides over council meetings. The president does not vote on legislation, except to break a tie.

The two candidates recently expressed their views about the city's involvement in community development during a candidates forum organized by the Coalition for the Support of Business and Jobs, a nonpartisan, political action committee of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce. Ulbright could not attend the event, and his remarks were presented by Barb Hustwit.

Ulbright expressed concern because representatives from the fields of education, health care and labor were not among those to be included in the matrix, which outlines who is involved in community development and whether the group is in a primary or supporting role.

The list includes five groups: The city, the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce, Wayne Economic Development Council, Main Street Wooster and the Wayne County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

As president, Ulbright stated he would urge city council to continue to increase the city's commitment to maintaining, improving and expanding public infrastructure and recognizing the importance of business retention, expansion and attraction.

To help finance infrastructure improvements, Ulbright said he would support the repeal of the city's current income tax credit that "allows some of Wooster's residents, who work outside the city, to pay nothing toward the services they receive." He estimated this action would increase tax revenue by about $750,000 without raising the income tax.

Ulbright said he would also like to influence the quality of life in the city. The two most essential services to citizens, police and fire, need additional money to enlarge the police department and restructure the fire stations to meet the increasing demands of the community. The Parks and Recreation Division will also need additional funding to continue to be one of the city's "gems." To meet the challenges, funds for each area could be created through impact fees, Ulbright said. The city could also look at an operating levy, he said.

Griffin said public infrastructure is the city's most urgent focus area. As chairman of the Public Utilities Committee, Griffin said he has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the supply of water, sewer and power.

"We all, at times, take for granted the provision of reliable utilities, but we should be reminded of the foresight and execution involved with keeping these resources well ahead of demand," Griffin said.

As the committee's chairman, Griffin said he sponsored some controversial utility projects and focused on the facts when presenting a compelling vision to his colleagues and fellow citizens. Sometimes it was difficult to work through the process when he had friends who opposed a particular project in the audience. However, because of the facts that came out during the research of projects, like the water tower on the north end, council as a group was able to see "fire suppression requirements, environmental concerns, as well as the residential and commercial demand for water mandated that we move the projects forward," he said.

Griffin said if he is elected president, he will take those skills and transcend them across all committees in order to promote fact-based discussions and decisions.

Business and Wayne County government reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at (330) 287-1638 or e-mail bwarren@the-daily-record.com.

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